Most of you know me by now, but for those who don’t: my name is Ruby G. Stevens and I’m the Senior Program Coordinator (or as I was initially introduced, the “New Suzy”) for the MSGL Program. I worked for USD’s Undergraduate Admissions Office for over 2 years and have been with the MSGL program for 10 months now. I’m originally from Arizona, earned a B.A. in Global Studies from ASU, moved to San Diego because my husband is in the NAVY, and have a 2-year old son.

Ruby G. StevensMSGL Senior Program Coordinator

Besides, formally introducing myself, I wanted to talk to you about why I genuinely enjoy my job. I jumped at the opportunity to blog about it. I’m of a generation that finds a thrill with sharing an experience with others on social media, I guess. Back to why this job is awesome: working with students is a passion of mine and it’s professionally fulfilling to see a student start from the application process and be there to shake their hand at graduation. There’s not many programs on campus, or anywhere else, that give employees the satisfaction of seeing a student go through their entire graduate program, from start to finish. MSGL is unique from the inside out; from the staff, to the professors, to the students, to the alums: we are just different and we embrace it.

Also, I’m very blessed to have a great team (Stephanie, Scott and Brett) that support my quirky requests and don’t judge me for having a pink notepad and my own water dispenser. They encourage me to be creative and laugh whenever I have “another question”. They now know I get this weird excitement when organizing the “behind-the-scenes” details for our events; whether it be for First Week, Last Week or weekly class sessions. The best part of my job, though: I get to truly know our students. I know who prefers tea over coffee, who’s having a baby, and even know when to order extra protein for lunch because they are on a strict diet. I think I was programmed to find joy in organizing and tying small niceties together to make our program successful and make our students happy.

I hope to make your MSGL experience a positive and friendly one. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or stop by my office!

The MSGL Program is excited to have Ruby on board. She can be reached at rstevens@sandiego.edu.

In 2009 I was on a Delta Airlines flight back to the Midwest. During the flight I quickly flipped through Delta’s Sky Magazine and lo and behold, I came across an advertisement for the MS in Global Leadership (MSGL) program at my alma mater, the University of San Diego. This was the first time I had ever heard of our unique program. At the time, I didn’t think I would eventually enroll in the program and I certainly didn’t think I would end up joining the MSGL staff as the Manager of Marketing and Recruitment. The advertisement was incredibly well done and one could argue, was successful in yielding at least one student, myself.

Sean Kelley (MSGL ’04) featured in Delta’s Sky Magazine in 2009.

The advertisement, which was included in a special “Distance Learning” section of the magazine, profiled one of our Alums, Sean Kelley (’04). Sean was a prior Naval Submarine Logistics Officer, Supply Chain Operations Manager at Starbucks, Product Operations Manager at Microsoft and today he remains at Microsoft as the Director of Staffing. In the advertisement, Sean offers his praise of the program and discusses what he has been able to do with the degree. The ad states that, “[distance] learning was a big selling point for Kelley, but the program’s appeal went far beyond that. The ‘remote-team’ approach was similar to working in a global corporation. He completed projects from the Seattle area with a couple in Japan, a guy in Italy and a guy in Northern California. Sean explained that “it was validating for someone like me who has lived all over the world.” He was successful in leveraging his previous professional experience in combination with his MSGL degree. “In the final month of completing the degree, I met with the head of Microsoft Diversity and she opened the door to a job for me,” he says. A lateral move, he went from Director of Operations to Director of Diversity. Two years later, he leveraged his education even further when he took the the reigns of Microsoft’s international diversity strategy. “I was able to put my deep studies to work around the world,” Kelley says. “I needed the degree to open the door, which it completely did.”

Fast forward four years from that issue of Delta Sky Magazine to this last Friday at the Service Academy Career Conference (SACC) here in San Diego. Both the MBA and MSGL Program were participating in the SACC Job Fair – I was of course representing the MSGL Program. Once we were setup at our table I noticed we were immediately across from the folks at Microsoft. Long story short, there was Sean Kelley representing the Microsoft Corporation. At this point, I had only seen Sean in the Delta Sky Advertisement. I had never met him. As the Marketing Manager, I have seen that advertisement countless times and I always think back to that flight and how his story, his experience in the Program and his success has impacted my professional trajectory.

At SACC San Diego, there were a handful of MSGL Alums and current students who were looking to find a good fit at one of the military friendly companies that were on exhibit. I was pleased to find one of our Alums, Brian Storjohann (MSGL ’12), having a lengthy conversation with Sean. Sean was once in Brian’s shoes as a transitioning Naval Officer and there is nothing more valuable to our transitioning military folks than an established and impressive network of professionals who have ‘been there and done that’. Participating “military-friendly” companies include: Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Boston Scientific, Cardinal Health, Chick-fil-A, the CIA, Coca-Cola, Dell, Inc., Deloitte, Edward Jones, Facebook, the FBI, FDIC, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, HP, Intel, L-3 Communications, Life Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Macy’s, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Northwestern Mutual, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Sears Holdings, Shell Oil Company, Target, The Clorox Company, The Hershey Company, U.S. Secret Service, UTC Aerospace Systems, Walmart and many other incredible companies and academic programs.

MSGL is going to be participating in all of the SACC events in 2014. We’ll be in Savannah, Georgia (March 6-7), Washington D.C. (May 29-30), San Diego (August 21-22) and San Antonio, Texas (November 20-21). If you graduated from one of the Service Academies and you are looking to make a transition, either from Active Duty to civilian or from another company, you need to be at one of these events. If you do attend, please stop by our table and say hello. You never know who you might meet.

For more information regarding the MSGL Program, SACC, USD/SBA Career Services, the MSGL Network or anything else related to the MS in Global Leadership (MSGL) Program, please feel free to contact me (Scott Handley) at handley@sandiego.edu.

Growing up in Montana, where small businesses (aka, Mom and Pop stores) reign supreme and ethical business was never the exception, I was searching for a graduate program that would emphasize ethics, smart business practices and maximizing profits without compromising the standards I was instilled with in my early years. So, I’m proud to say that I decided to enroll in the MS in Global Leadership (MSGL) Program at the University of San Diego’s School of Business Administration. Due to a death in the family, I needed to stay up here in Montana during my studies, which thankfully, the MSGL program was able to accommodate by placing me on the Distance Learner route. So there I was, up in Montana, enrolled in a full-time program at the University of San Diego.

Debbie Bjerke (Cohort 57), front row center, and other MSGL Students at reception in Berlin

Studying international business and global leadership in the classroom and in my case, the virtual classroom, was only a part of my academic experience. I had the unique opportunity to study abroad with the program, which if you can, I highly recommend it. The program currently takes students to China, Germany, Turkey and Argentina. I had already studied in Argentina during my undergraduate archaeological field school, so I had to choose between studying in China and Europe. I ended up choosing to study Global Politics, Policy and Law in Berlin, Germany and Istanbul, Turkey, which would end up being the most rewarding experience during my time in the MSGL Program.

I started off my MSGL study abroad adventure in Berlin. My experience in Berlin taught me more than just international (German) business policies and law. To begin with, Berlin is an incredibly modern city, which I was able to navigate with ease, even though I didn’t know how to speak German. One of the more fascinating places I stumbled upon with my fellow students was a wine bar (Rutz) where the sommelier educated us on German wine. Another extra-curricular experience that was incredibly interesting, but more moving than anything, was our visit to the Sachsenhausen’s Concentration Camp. In short, Berlin is one big history lesson.

Debbie, fifth from the left, and other students on bike tour of Berlin.

After about a week, we left Germany for Istanbul, Turkey. This was the most inspiring and eye-opening experiences of the trip due to the protests and escalating uprisings that were occurring in Taksim Square. The unrest was only about a half mile from our hotel. Coming from a small-town, I wasn’t used to such large gatherings, especially those that are politically charged. Standing in the middle of the protests was inspiring on many levels. Every night I fell asleep to the banging sounds of pots and pans and young men shouting.

During the European experience, I was reunited with my classmates. As a Distance Learner, I had only met my Cohort-mates once during the first week of the program, but it was like meeting old friends again. The study-abroad experience, the high-touch academics and the distance learning technology, enabled this girl from a small town in Montana, to feel welcomed to campus and into a professionally diverse Cohort of hard-chargers and future business leaders. If you are looking for a graduate program that offers a great deal of flexibility and provides the tools to succeed, I highly recommend the MSGL program – and at least one of the study-abroad opportunities. You won’t regret it.

Debbie Bjerke graduated with Cohort 57 in early August. She currently resides in Clancy, Montana and is in the process of transitioning from a career in Archaeology to a new career in business. For information regarding the MSGL Program and/or MSGL study abroad opportunities, please contact the MSGL Marketing and Recruitment Manager, Scott Handley at handley@sandiego.edu.

ALUMNI UPDATE: Last July we wrote a post about John Boyer (MSGL ’08) and current MSGL Student, Eli Abbott and the work they were doing for Afghan Vision Group (AVG). Since then, life has changed quite a bit for John and Eli. The two global entrepreneurs are now running KVG. KVG, in short, “is a proven provider of goods and services in austere places around the world. With a presence in the most unforgiving locations, KVG leads in expeditionary procurement with a diverse global supplier network, accurate sourcing, and superior customer service. From Myanmar to the Kyrgyz Republic, Afghanistan to Libya, KVG is the force multiplier you need to support your operation.”. Check out their new website and facebook page. John and Eli, keep up the great work!

Thirteen MSGL students, along with 24 MBA/International MBA; 14 M.S. in Executive Leadership and 9 Monterrey TEC students, are in Istanbul, Turkey this week participating in a USD study abroad program focused on graduate level global business topics. Arriving from Berlin, Germany after their first week of study, most of the MSGL students had no idea they would be leaving the stable (and almost stoic) environ of western Europe for a powder keg battle for Turkey’s future centered just blocks from their hotel in Taksim Square.

Nightly, tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have been streaming into the square loudly calling for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step down. Protests, that started as an outcry against a local development project in Taksim Square, have snowballed into widespread anger against what critics say is the government’s increasingly authoritarian agenda that threatens the basic rights of citizens here in Turkey.

Protestors Gathering at Taksim Square

“We are among a diverse people all seeking a common goal – it’s inspiring,” said Jeff Haislet (Full-time MBA student). “It is very interesting that the Turkish people are thanking us (non-Turks here in Istanbul) for being here and supporting their cause,” shares Scott Mackin (Part-time MBA student).

“I feel honored to be witness to the Turkish people, especially the women, fighting for their freedom of thought and freedom of voice,” emphasized Trish Mahler (MSGL, Cohort 57).

“While initially we discouraged students from venturing into the throes of the protests, the generally peaceful demonstrations have been too much of a lure to our students’ global policy interests to keep them away,” says Stephanie Kiesel, Director of the MSGL program who is accompanying the students in Turkey.

The students will be heading home on Saturday, but will likely never forget their opportunity to be present in Turkey at a time when cries of “This is our Taksim, this is our Istanbul!” rang in the air.

A few weeks ago, MSGL Director, Stephanie Kiesel received an e-mail from Professor Charles Teplitz, who teaches Project Management for Global Business in the third semester of the program. Project Management for Global Business, in short, provides an integrative view of project management from the perspective of the project life cycle. The course focuses on the five phases of project management related to the successful implementation of projects in both domestic and international environments: initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing. This course happens to be one of the more ‘experiential’ courses in the program due to the scope of both the hard and soft skills that are taught. With that being said, those students who are taking the Distance Learner route, will sometimes do what they can to attend class, even if they can’t physically be on campus.

Back to the e-mail…we know how unique our program is, but it’s nice to get a reminder from time to time showing just how unique we really are. And Professor Teplitz did just that by sending along a photo of Cohort 58 student, Johannes Schonberg, who was observing the class from Hawaii. With a little help from fellow student Chio Garza and her laptop, Johannes became a virtual member of the class.

Professor Teplitz stated that “after an in-class exercise in which student teams created Work Breakdown Structures on the white boards with Post-It Notes, Chio walked past the results carrying her laptop so Johannes could see what was accomplished. The Talking Head blew me away. A bit surreal!”

If you want to learn more about MSGL’s uniqueness or have any questions, please visit our website or contact the MSGL Marketing and Recruitment Manager, Scott Handley, at msgl@sandiego.edu.

The MSGL Program was one of the best decisions I have ever made but for many more reasons than just receiving my Masters Degree. For starters, the curriculum was “real world” based, not just text book reading and the ability to regurgitate what you read. A few perfect examples of this are the professors themselves, several of whom have had substantial success in their professional fields and are now taking an active role as educators. Or the capstone project, where my cohort got to work with Taylor Dunn to help devise a strategy around launching their products in various European markets. These examples were valuable to applying what we were learning in the MSGL Program to our personal professional endeavors.

Of course the best experience I had in MSGL program was the 2 weeks abroad studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. That was the experience of a lifetime! We studied several companies, but the one I enjoyed the most was Wal-Mart Argentina. We toured their headquarters; met with their CFO, and received great insight into the challenges that a large retailer has in Latin America and the strategies they have in place to overcome them. Not to mention that the city, people, and culture were incredible!

Ryan Clardy (far right) is a 2011 MSGL Graduate. He was a member of Cohort 50.

I have been with Automatic Data Processing for nearly 8 years and was there during my tenure as an MSGL Student. I started as an Account Manager for small businesses right out of college in 2005. I would work with small companies on various outsourcing service projects, but since completing the MSGL Program I have been promoted to Automatic Data Processing’s Major Accounts division where I am now the District Manager of the Central Coast of California. I work with companies now that have roughly a few hundred to a thousand employees and consult on outsourcing services to help global integration, new market entry, compliance, and the overall strategic initiatives of the company. Having completed the MSGL Program helped me immensely in getting my promotion.

I would recommend the MSGL program to anyone, but to be more specific anyone looking to grow and differentiate themselves while they further their careers. I had a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and rather than choosing the MBA route, I wanted something that had a little more focus on the global side of business and one that would separate me from everyone else who had an MBA. The MSGL Program was perfect! Not only did I establish friendships the will last a life time, experience studying abroad, learn from great professors, and get my degree, but I was able to get ahead quickly and make myself much more valuable and marketable in my professional career.

For more information regarding the MSGL Program, please contact the Marketing and Recruitment Manager, Scott Handley at handley@sandiego.edu.